Cheap LED Open Signs … Buy Carefully

Have you been searching google trying to find cheap led open signs? There’s several different types, so you should know what you are getting before you buy one.

Under $50

a typical cheap, low quality, led open sign

There’s really only two kinds of cheap LED open signs you’ll find for under $50, really cheap new ones, or perhaps a good deal on a used one on eBay or Craigslist.

While a really cheap new LED does work, there are a couple of things you should know before you buy one. To make a “sub $50″ LED sign, the manufacturers do cut some corners:

– Backing material: Usually, with these signs, the backing is a sort of “thick paper” that doesn’t last very long, and is also not very stiff. It’s typically dyed black, fades in the sunlight, and tends to curl over time.

– Power supply: Again, corners are cut, and the hallmark of these sub-$50 signs is that the power supply is internal instead of a wall transfomer. This could be a concern, since the backing material appears to be paper ( i.e: flammable )

– LED’s: The LED’s in these cheap signs tend to be of low quality, and probably won’t last the usual 5-10 years that a high quality LED will

We don’t recommend buying this type of sign unless it’s for some sort of “disposable” use where you are in a bind and need something cheap, but don’t care if it only lasts for a few weeks.

$50 to $100

On the other hand, if you spend just a little, more…in the range of $50 to $100, there are several good LED signs you can find. There are, of course, low quality signs in this range as well, so here’s what to look for:

1. Look for a site that specializes in LED signs. It might be tempting to buy one from a big box office store, or perhaps a WalMart, Sam’s Club, etc. The issue there is that these kind of stores only carry products that have lots of “margin”. If they are selling a sign for under $100, you can be sure they paid $30 or less for the product…which in turn means it’s probably NOT a good sign.

2. Look for a warranty, and check the details. There are places selling LED open signs under $100, with a full 1-year warranty on electrical parts. This is important because even high quality LED’s do have a defect rate. If your sign ends up with a bad LED that goes out ( and each one that goes out will take a few others with it ), you want to be able to have the sign repaired or replaced for free.

3. Check that they haven’t cut corners. Ask if the backing is high quality plastic or acrylic. If it has animation, ask if there is a switch to turn the animation on and off. Also, ask for real pictures of the sign. A real picture helps you see the quality of the sign.

Some typical high quality, sub $100 LED signs:

a typical cheap, low quality, led open sign

Our recommendation is to go with something that’s in the “over $50″ range, unless you specifically need something that will only last a couple of months.

jj was right. It is better to buy quality LED signs because your money will be worth it. If you are try to purchase for a cheap LED signs, make sure that it will guarantee your money and it is a reliable company that you will purchase your item.